Sigh...

[rolanni]

The Google Settlement* makes it necessary for writers to jump through a bunch of hoops on Google's deadlines, whether said writer decides to opt-in, opt-out or Object. It's not like I don't have enough stupid paperwork-like tasks to fill up my hours, or that I might have a book to write. No, of course not. Doesn't everybody have extra hours in their day that they're anxious to fill up?

And! The Google Settlement has also made it necessary for us to do a bunch more paperwork. Meisha Merlin never copyrighted our books, as we belatedly discover, so that task now falls to us -- before Google's damned deadline, which is convenient for no one but itself -- and is time-consuming and expensive, for values of expensive illuminated by the lamp of low cash-flow.

Sigh.

In other news, the trees are still trying to kill me. Since Claritin makes me...extremely hyper and depressed when I have too much of it, I've been trying to ration myself and only take the stuff on days with really high pollen-counts. I'm not sure this strategy is working out as well as it could. On the other hand, I can breathe. Mostly.

I have Failed at the day-job by not producing the result desired by a faculty member who has a...rather peculiar idea of what "austerity budget" means. The thing I resent most about this is that I feel like I failed, even though I have no choice and no wiggle-room in this matter at all. (Well, OK. I could lie on the paperwork, get caught and lose my job, but yanno?)

I've been working, too slowly, on the rewrite of the chapter I got wrong last Sunday. This iteration is right, but I wanted to be past this bit and running down the story-road, racking up lots and lots of new words!

Ahem.

Hexapuma is sleeping with the teddy bears. I'd try to get a picture, but he's going to wake up the minute I shift from this desk. Take my word that it's almost Unbearably Cute.

And now...dinner.

Progress on Mouse and Dragon

58951 / 120000

-----------------
*One explanation of the Google Settlement and what it means to authors from a genre agent. Thanks to difrancis for the link.

Comments

[thepouncer.livejournal.com]

For allergies, I find Nasalcrom indispensable. It's an over-the-counter nasal spray, and a mast cell inhibitor that stops the histamine reaction from starting. I use it four to five times a day, and my allergies are much less terrible than they are otherwise, even with clarinex and sudafed and mucinex and a ton of other meds.

On all the rest, I have nothing to offer but good wishes.

[debmats.livejournal.com]

For me, I've found zyrtec works better than claritin. It's been especially great these past two weeks - it's had to work against pollen and whatever stuff is in the air and THE CAT who insists on sleeping on my head.

I send good wishes too.

[redpimpernel.livejournal.com]

Does the Zyrtec make you drowsy? I see that's one possible side effect. Am doing Claritin at present, but it helps my eyes more then my breathing. Want to try Zyrtec, don't want to fall asleep using it.

[debmats.livejournal.com]

For me, it doesn't make me drowsy and it doesn't make me feel like I'm climbing out of my skin - that antsy feeling.

[hairmonger.livejournal.com]

Another vote for Zyrtec or its generic. Back when it and Claritin were still Rx only, my insurance did not want to pay for anything but Claritin. Complaining about this at the pharmacy earned me a sisterhood moment with the clerk, who also found Claritin about as effective as a placebo. A letter from my allergist to the insurance company was her recommendation. I cannot testify on the drowsy thing since drowsy is never one of my reactions.

I also have used Nasalcrom since it was first developed. Breathing through one's nose is such an underrated pleasure.

Mary Anne in Kentucky

[kalimeg.livejournal.com]

Tried Claritin. Only worked 2 days out of 4. Someone suggested Zyrtec. Much better. Works every day, and the generic is very cheap at CostCo.

[lagilman]

we hates, Google, we does. Except where my G1 phone is the best piece of office equipment I own... hates them yes we does, my precioussssss....

(and we REALLY hate MM for not doing the copyright for you. Grrrr)

[mardott.livejournal.com]

Unbelievable about the copyright issue. But thank you for the link and the condensed explanation. What a mess, eh?

Good luck!

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

So how much is this copyright going to set you back? Can the Patrons Of the Liaden Universe (r) kick in? (although I thought you had automatic copyright when the words are set down? This has to be the registration, which helps in court but doesn't add much else?)

[kinzel.livejournal.com]

"automatic copyright" has been subverted by this theft of time.. the US never kept up with the "droit moral" idea and authors suffer because of it ..
and it's only a pittance -- a thousand or two dollars and a couple months of distraction ... and lost writing opportunity and lost impetus

The icon sums up my reaction to the Google settlement.

[elbales]

A thousand or two dollars doesn't sound like a pittance to me, not that I can afford to kick in more than a few dollars. Either way, you have my sympathy. Grrr.

ETA: Steve, I'm having trouble understanding this line:
"automatic copyright" has been subverted by this theft of time

Would you be willing to clarify? I iz confuzzled. Thanks!

Re: The icon sums up my reaction to the Google settlement.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

ETA: Steve, I'm having trouble understanding this line:
"automatic copyright" has been subverted by this theft of time

I'm not Steve, but "common law copyright*" doesn't seem to have entered into the discussions between Google and the Authors Guild at all and for the purposes of this settlement seems to be Utterly Ignored. The only thing the settlement wants to talk about is those works which have registered copyright. Its possible that Google "believes" that all unregistered works are in the public domain. It would be completely clueless and self-serving to believe that, but hey.

What happened to "Do no evil"?

*When you write something and you put the line "copyright 2009 by Your Name" on it, you are declaring an Intent to Copyright. This used to protect the writer and the work, from infringement, even if there was no formal registration with the copyright office.

Re: The icon sums up my reaction to the Google settlement.

[elbales]

Ah, I see. Thanks for the explanation, Not!Steve. ;)

[cailleuch.livejournal.com]

I would be more than happy to contribute if you let me know how. I'm sure there are more of us out here.

[keristor.livejournal.com]

By international agreement on copyright it exists (in signatory countries) as soon as the material has been put into physical form[1]. Registration, in those countries which do that, only helps in court cases to show when it was created. If the Google Settlement tries to infringe that on works from outside the USA I suspect that they will be sued by every other country whose material is being hijacked -- and the USA might find itself in bad odour for having unilaterally broken the agreement.

[1] There is still dispute about electronic form from a practical point of view, since it is easy to 'forge' dates on disks. However, once something has been put into public view (a Usenet post, website, etc.) there is little doubt that this at least provides a "latest date of creation" for it.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

The Google Settlement ignores common law copyright altogether. From my reading of various discussions of the Settlement, it seems as if Google is saying if an edition of a particular work has a US publisher, that work is fair game for Google's Library.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

It looks like we can do the electronic registration (which is significantly cheaper than the form-and-check-by-mail option). We'll still have to mail them hard copies of the Actual Books (and I need to find how many of each book has to be submitted; it used to be...three?), but the cost to register is around $35/book (ref: http://www.copyright.gov/eco/ and http://www.copyright.gov/eco/faq.html)

So, that's seven or ten books (haven't figured out if the two omnibi are two books or five) @$35 + postage. Five hundred bucks, say, worst case, when the smoke clears. And, as Steve points out, the time off from writing and the aggravation and the wondering what the HELL the Authors Guild was thinking...

[6-penny.livejournal.com]

An ear nose and throat specialist suggested that I try using mucinex. I stream a bit but it does improve the breathing and (so far) no side effects.

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

Zyrtec and Allegra both work better for me than Claritin...

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

You know, I used to have some contacts in the Decatur, Georgia area in possession of military hardware. If you would like to place a contract on certain heads, let me know . . .

(Note to Homeland Security -- this is a jest.)

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Well, yanno. Stephe's working in the vegetable section of a grocery store and at last report was living in a friend's basement. Plus, he kinda really grooved on being an Important Player.

While I still now and then have the urge to box his ears and read him the Riot Act at volume, I think he's probably being served the dinner he paid for.

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

Well, I lived for about ten years in the next town over, so could probably arrange the ear-boxing and loud noise if you ever feel the urge.

[grassrose.livejournal.com]

This looks like the SoundExchange of the literary world - agencies over whom the artist has no control, deciding what will be charged for / done with an artist's work. Some points:

1. SoundExchange will collect from digital broadcasters, regardless of the artist's wishes. You can write a song, record it, and offer it to broadcasters for free play. SE will still collect, unless the artist and the station have filled out a pile of paperwork.

2. It is the responsibility of the artist to make sure SoundExchange knows where to find them, to send their cut, whether the artist is a member of SE or not. Here's the list of artists that SE "hasn't been able to find"
http://63.236.111.137/jsp/unpaidArtistList.jsp
(I visited this page with scripting turned off, and it worked fine)

3. Every few years, SoundExchange declares a forfeiture date, after which unpaid/unfound artists lose the money that has been collected on their behalf. The money is paid to the recording industry, which, strangely enough, staffs the SoundExchange Board of Directors. Sweet... for them.

Some blog input:

http://www.azoz.com/topics/soundexchange.html

http://blog.wired.com/music/2007/07/polka-players-w.html (both the article and the comments are very interesting)

I am well aware that it's not an exact parallel, but I do see a pattern.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's easy to steal from people who are underpaid and have no lawyers.

And, besides, it's not actually as if that art had any value.

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

The thing I resent most about this is that I feel like I failed, even though I have no choice and no wiggle-room

Sorry to hear about your work situation. I know how that is.

[filkferengi]

I sent y'all a goodish-sized box last week with lots of Meisha Merlin leftovers, so y'all could sell them on your website. It would be very fitting if Meisha Merlin leftovers were used to offset the expense occasioned by Meisha Merlin negligence.